New poll doesn’t bode well for metro Atlanta’s transportation sales tax
Channel 2 Action News is touting a Rosetta Stone poll that shows strong opposition outside Fulton and DeKalb counties to the July 31 transportation sales tax initiative:
The poll found 42 percent support the referendum, while 45 percent oppose it. Thirteen percent remain undecided.
Voters in DeKalb and Fulton counties showed overwhelming support for the tax, by a 52 to 33 percent margin. The numbers are nearly exact opposites in the other eight suburban counties where the measure is opposed by a 20 point margin.
This isn’t what proponents were looking for – not midway through a campaign that has already blanketed voters with direct mail and not a small amount of TV.
We hope to have some cross tabs and methodology to offer you soon.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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119 comments Add your comment
BW
May 22nd, 2012
9:11 am
TBone
Wow….clearly that’s not going to happen. They are here to stay….there is still a problem…too little infrastructure for too many people. I fail to see how getting one’s fiscal house in order is the sole remedy to that basic problem.
Ga Values
May 22nd, 2012
9:17 am
BW
May 22nd, 2012
9:05 am
..
I was born here & have lived here most of my life. To me Reed looks like a bigger crook than Bill Cambell, Deal was my personal lawyer at 1 time so I know how corrupt he is. I was a Republican before being a Republican was cool. The problem in Georgia is that our politicians are not Republican or Democrat. They are GREEN as in the colar of lobbyist money.
Don
May 22nd, 2012
9:27 am
The project list is lousy, but, if it fails and Atlanta dies. Our politicians are too chicken to tackle the problem. Have been for a decade and it’s not going to change any time soon.
There is, and will be, no “Plan B.”
Roadkill
May 22nd, 2012
9:28 am
My opposition to TSPLOST is based on my firm belief that such a tax is not allowed by the Georgia Constitution. Legislative leaders once acknowledged that fact, as the initial plan contained a constitutional amendment permitting the tax. For their own reasons, they abandoned the correct path and gambled on the current plan of a “regional” tax imposed on unwilling residents of counties which voted against the tax. No reading of the constitution permits such a tax. What a mess we would be in if the tax were implemented and then struck down by the courts! My vote will be NO.
A dad
May 22nd, 2012
9:29 am
As a GA400 commuter, I’m already paying above and beyond what I was supposed to, but I’m not surpirsed. Give politicians a source of income and they never let go of it. I might be fore the SPLOST if, and that’a big “IF”, there was a logical plan on the table ahead of time, plans were in place to eliminate all the bloat and mismanagement in GDOT and local gov’t, and it was going to be spent equally on all the contributing counties. I’m sick and tired of subsidizing South Fulton’s mismanagement, so I’ll be voting no.
D man
May 22nd, 2012
9:32 am
NO NEW TAXES, we need to audit all of our government branches with private independent companies to see where the TRILLIONS of dollars they are collecting from us are going everyday. I imagine an independent audit would uncover a lot of PORK SPENDING… Since they will never allow such an audit, vote all of the spenders out of office… We need new leaders with brains and courage enough to stand up to the lobbyists and repeat term politicians.
Chris
May 22nd, 2012
9:50 am
Folks, the line about “there is no plan B” is an outright lie. If the vote fails, they can bring it right back for another vote in 2 years.
And Jim Galloway could you please ask the Chamber of Commerce why they are spending 8 million dollars to indoctrinate the voters on this issue? If they really cared about MARTA they could just give that money directly to address budget gaps.
All the chamber really cares about are lining their own pockets with taxpayer booty. Wake up people: there is no more “left vs. right”. It’s the individual vs. the corporate state, and the corporate state is winning.
Double Zero Eight
May 22nd, 2012
9:58 am
Why is it our politicians have the guts to approve
a new sports dome, but lack the fortitude to pass
an additional gasoline tax for improving traffic in
Metro Atlanta?
jebbery
May 22nd, 2012
10:04 am
1) the project list sucks 2) atlanta will not “collapse” if we don’t vote for another SPLOST 3) voting yes on this is a forever vote – you’re kidding yourself if you think this sunsets in 10 years 4) even if you build more rail, it will still be extremely underutilized bc MARTA sucks 5) I would rather sit in traffic than pay another penny on every dollar to local government officials who are COMPLETELY inept when it comes to fiscal managment.
I live in Dekalb, I vote NO.
Tarzan
May 22nd, 2012
10:07 am
Hey A dad. There are 157 regional projects already determined that are the only projects that can be built with the TSPLOST tax. All metro Atlanta counties get between 90-110 percent of their tax receipts reinvested in their counties. 15% of all funds go directly back to each city and unincorporated area based on a formula of population and road miles. And everyone travels from one county to another to work or shop so even those investments in a neighboring county will benefit you. The census said 47.5 of Fulton workers travel to another county to work while Rockdale has over an 80% commute rate. Unless you walk everywhere you will see a benefit from the TSPLOST. This isn’t a Ga400 or HOT lane program. All activities are set in law with a citizens overview committee following every regional projects progress. Sounds like you would support the TSPLOST option over leaving things at GDOT. You might want to look a little deeper into how this TSPLOST works and get all the facts before you decide how to vote. Since you said you might “IF” certain things would happen you may be surprised to see just how much will happen if you vote yes. If you vote no you know what will happen too.
MARTA Rida
May 22nd, 2012
10:54 am
This is not a forever tax, it is written that the voters must approve another tax, so please read the facts. MARTA has nothing to do with the projects since GRTA, a republican nominated board, will be handling all the transit money. Hope all y’all voting NO have fun sitting in traffic as your suburban homes lose value, health suffers from sitting in a car for hours everyday, and family life collapses.
Monroe
May 22nd, 2012
11:36 am
Vote NO on this corrupt sales tax!! A bunch of connected insiders will get rich while taxpayers get hosed! Vote NO!!!!!!
honested
May 22nd, 2012
12:01 pm
Until the motor fuel tax reflects reality, a NO vote is in order.
Once the motor fuel tax more closely represents adequate revenue for maintenance and repair on existing roads as well as construction costs for new roads, then we can revisit REAL Transportation Infrastructure Improvements.
There is more to life than driving.
MARTA Rida
May 22nd, 2012
12:05 pm
Politicians don’t have the backbone to raise the motor fuel tax to where it can cover road maintenance, let alone new roads.
jebbery
May 22nd, 2012
3:51 pm
“Hope all y’all voting NO have fun sitting in traffic as your suburban homes lose value, health suffers from sitting in a car for hours everyday, and family life collapses.”
What a joke comment this is dude…I live intown, rarely use the interstate or MARTA. My commute is 30 minutes round trip….
When was the last time in recent memory that you recall a SPLOST being voted down when it was up for renewal?
If you think that a tax increase is going to solve this region’s traffic woes, you are sadly misinformed and drinking the ATL Kool Aid.
jebbery
May 22nd, 2012
3:53 pm
@Tarzan YES! WE KNOW! If we vote NO, a hole will open up in the ground and swallow the city of Atlanta…then zombies will eat us while we’re sitting in our cars in 100 degree heat with no A/C. OMG!!!!
Going Right
May 22nd, 2012
4:16 pm
BELTLINE. That’s all you need to know to give you the answer why so many OTP will vote NO on this fiasco. Who will profit from the Beltline? Who will it serve? How is it going to relieve traffic? Look at where this epitome of idiocy is scheduled to run: 30-35% in Caucasian areas and 65-70% in the African neighborhoods. Racial? Not on you life. It may help alleviate those that “Walk While Black in a Gated Community” however.
Greg
May 22nd, 2012
5:10 pm
A good chunk of this money is going to the beltway to help already filthy rich developers due to payoffs they gave the repubs. They lied about Ga. 400, the stole our high way and made it into a Mercedes land for the rich. Unless they get rail going to all the suburbs this city is doomed to be a parking lot. Notice the nice new tall lights at all the access ramps, they are there to register when you get on and off the highway for new taxes coming supposedly due to the loss of gas taxes for electric cars, these people are dirty rotten stinking liars.
Greg
May 22nd, 2012
5:14 pm
Tarzan is a lobbyist for the rats that want this tax, and every city I have been to with a good rail system that is safe and clean has the trains full every day.